Jackson did not possess Sprewell's elite one-on-one explosiveness, but he was a purer and smarter playmaker.
Under his orchestration, the Knicks' bench displayed a frightening all-hands-on-deck presence.
Whether rookies or veterans, everyone could contribute on offense, and the ball moved with exceptional fluidity.
They kept passing, cutting, and setting screens until they created the best possible shot.
The Heat's bench mob remained fierce, but against the Knicks' second unit and its smooth passing-and-cutting combinations, their defense was stretched too thin. They could defend one point, but not all five.
Like a frog being slowly boiled in warm water, the gap gradually widened before anyone noticed.
By the end of the third quarter, the Knicks had stretched their lead to 16 points.
The feverish atmosphere at American Airlines Arena began to show signs of cooling.
Mourning was still fighting. Like a wounded lone wolf, he dragged his exhausted body into the paint again and again, but every one of his attempts looked agonizingly difficult.
His toughness and willpower seemed so tragic and powerless in the face of the Knicks' superior talent and more advanced tactical system.
With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Sprewell stole Hardaway's pass and went coast to coast for a thunderous fast-break dunk, pushing the lead to 22.
105-83.
Pat Riley finally called a timeout without changing expression, but he did not draw up any plays. He merely looked silently at his players. He knew the game was over.
At the TNT commentary desk, Kevin Harlan let out a long, emotional sigh:
"It's over. We have to pay tribute to the Miami Heat, and to Alonzo Mourning. They gave everything they had. They were tough enough, fierce enough. But just as Li Fei said before the game, in the face of absolute talent and strength, sheer